i have to say it made a great deal of difference for me also, better in the rough and more stable at wot.
For years my 18 has beat the piss outta me in all but the smoothest water. I added a hokey little piece of aluminum under the bowl a few years ago and it helped just a tad, but not really. We were going to a big meet up here at Potholes res. for Labor day and I remembered the beating it/we took there last time. Then I saw the new rideplate Jetboy put on his Jacuzzi, why couldn't I do something like that? I went outside and found a chunk of aluminum a buddie had bent up for me as a tank test pattern last year. I cut the sides down and bolted it onto my existing mini plate.
http://home1.gte.net/res09phe/rideplate.jpg
I think it's set around 1-2* down. We got over there Friday afternoon and put it in. It made a huge difference! Now the nose just floats back down where it used to crash. We even hit some real rough stuff coming back from the beach Fri night and I could take it at almost WOT. After all these years it's an awesome change, best thing I've ever done to it! Only negative is it's so long reverse is all but gone, but I can live with it.
i have to say it made a great deal of difference for me also, better in the rough and more stable at wot.
I'm sold.
Hell, my reverse lever is binding up so bad I can't use it anyway! Besides, I have an electric troller hooked up to the jet and it has reverse.
How well did your boat do in reverse after the rideplate?
What reverse?
I think I'll try making a snoot for it and see if that helps get it back.
that may actually work out really well for me as My pump sits much farther back then that and losing reverse might not be an issue.
Malcom, do you have the dimensons of the piece you did?
Bill I would contact Duane @ HTP and get one of his E-pump shoe and ride plate kits it will help out and not fatigue after a short period of time. Roostwear has one and it works very well. I also would not put any down angle to it, 2* up would work real well on that boat.
It's 17"x13". Yeah every one gives me crap about how thin it is, how it's attached, it's adjusted wrong, etc. It was a last ditch attempt to save my back over the Labor day weekend and it worked! I'd like to refine it in the off season and make it more adjustable and stronger. Back on my home river it felt ok, but figured I could raise it up a bunch and get my wheelie back.
It's 17"x13". Yeah every one gives me crap about how thin it is, how it's attached, it's adjusted wrong, etc. It was a last ditch attempt to save my back over the Labor day weekend and it worked! I'd like to refine it in the off season and make it more adjustable and stronger. Back on my home river it felt ok, but figured I could raise it up a bunch and get my wheelie back.
Thanks,
It will be a while before the boat sees water again. Its getting gutted and rerigged, new interior, alum. tanks, all the scratches/ stress cracks in the gel fixed, etc... now I have all the time in the world to get it done since its not my main boat. Let the Projects begin. it will be going to down to MPD and getting everyhting re-gone through once I am done and checking the bottom for hook, etc...
I don't have pics but my Howard has a set of small manual trim tabs about 4x9 with 2 set screws in each one. If I want to be fast and don't mind a rough ride just back the screws out some, Or I can adjust them down untill I can run the divirter full up and still have a smooth ride.
Video.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ideoID=5560394